HOSTILITIES WITH AMERICA, AGUI'S FLIGHT TO ISABELA

Meanwhile the American fleet was ready to deliver its final blow to the remaining Spanish armada at Manila bay on August 1898. Considering that it is more honorable to yield to the Americans than their former Filipino subjects; Royal Spain decided to conclude its colonial era by engaging a mocked battle against the Americans in Manila bay in less than two hours then surrendered.
Spain relinquished (stately term for “sold”) the Philippine islands together with Guam and Puerto Rico for $20 million under the treaty of Paris in December 10, 1898.
The historical event did not only ended the Spanish-American war but moreover- the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. It however ushered the Filipino-American war and eventually, the US occupation the following year.

THE FILIPINO-AMERICAN HOSTILITIES

The Philippines was in total disarray in 1898 having three regimes existing in the archipelago- the Aguinaldo dictatorship in Malolos, the government of the United States in Intramuros and the deposed Spanish rule in Iloilo.
Without Filipino participation, the United States inked the treaty of Paris with the Spain on December 1898 leaving the Malolos Republic a de facto government in the eyes of the International Community.

Filipinos refused to accept President Mckinley's offer of “Benevolent Assimilation” as both American and Filipino troops traded accusation of hostilities. On January 4, 1899; General Ellwell Otis proclaimed himself Governor-General and induced the Filipino-American war.
On February 4, American sentry Pvt. William Grayson shot a Filipino Soldier in San Juan and had two of his fellow US soldiers kill two more Filipinos. As Filipino and American soldiers vow to fight it of to the end, Aguinaldo retreated to northern Luzon and shifted to guerrilla tactics.
While holding his base camp in the remote and isolated coastal town of Palanan, Isabela; Aguinaldo stayed in contact with guerrilla leaders.
The Americans were uncomfortable with the presence of threat from Filipino fighters unless Aguinaldo is either captured or killed; first, they have to pinpoint his hideout.
On December 11, 1899 General Daniel Tirona surrendered to Capt. Bowman McCalla of US Navy cruiser Newark in Aparri, Cagayan. Tirona gained notoriety in humiliating Bonifacio in the infamous Tejeros convention and subsquently appointed Military Governor to Cagayan Valley (Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya) by Aguinaldo.
Tirona's surrender was done with military honors. Captain McCalla reviewed Filipino troops while Tirona reviewed the Americans but with furious shouting from Cagayano spectators branding him a coward, thief, shameless, a man with no honor and “maitim ang balahibo.”

On Dec. 21, 1899, Maj. Gen. Ellwell Otis directed the 16th US Infantry Regiment under Col. Charles C. Hood to proceed to Aparri. On the same day, Colonel Hood was appointed military governor of the Cagayan Valley.
A company of troops was garrisoned in each of the following towns: Cagayan Province- Aparri, Lallo, Tuguegarao; Isabela Province- Cabangan Nuevo, Cordon, Echague, Ilagan; Nueva Vizcaya Province- Solano

The First Republic

On May 19, Dewey facilitated Aguinaldo's return to the Philippines. Upon his arrival, Aguinaldo knowing that his Tejeros government was earlier defunct by the Pact of Biak-na-Bato and heeding the American advise; declared himself as Dictator in resuming the interrupted revolution. He retracted his pre-exile pronouncement of declaring as bandits those who did not join him in the cessation of hostilities.
Aguinaldo did not only hastily proclaimed Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 but likewise proclaimed himself President.

Thus, conferring himself to assume the Presidency for the second time without the exercise of free elections. Seeing this error and upon the legal advice of Lawyer Apolinario Mabini, Aguinaldo reverted his Republic back to its revolutionary status then unilaterally “revoked” the terms expressed in the infamous pact of Biak-na-bato.
History repeated itself during the outset of the February 1986 EDSA revolution that catapulted into Presidency Corazon Aquino when she declared her government “Revolutionary” and rendered void whatever the outcome could have been of the previous “Snap” presidential elections contested with dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The following month, July 14, Aguinaldo promulgated the Philippine Constitution and on September 15 held the inaugural session of the Philippine Congress in Malolos, Bulacan- the chosen seat of the Aguinaldo Government. From thereon the Aguinaldo regime hunted the erstwhile Spanish colonizers.

The Capture of Cagayan Valley

General Manuel Tinio occupied Ilocos sending former Spanish government officials, their families and friars fleeing towards east to Cagayan. They sought refuge in Aparri where they hoped to get salvation from an allied ship to take them either to Manila or Hong Kong. Prominent among the Spanish fugitives was Vigan Bishop Jose Hevia Campomanes who was soon captured by Tirona's men in Amulung.
Having known of the Spanish exodus, Aguinaldo dispatched Tirona as Military Governor for Isabela, Cagayan and Batanes.
Tirona with the expeditionary forces of 2,000 men sailed through Flagship Filipinas on August 12, 1898 and reached Aparri on August 25.
The Spaniards thought at first that Tirona's ship was their Saviour having raised the Spanish flag while approaching the coast. The Spaniards happily went out to meet the vessel but as soon as the flagship Filipinas approached the deck; the revolutionaries hoisted the Philippine flag. To their disappointment and to avoid bloodshed, the Spaniards raised their white flag and voluntarily surrendered.
Having occupied Cagayan; Col. Simeon Villa later in his personal diary entries on year 1900 wrote what he described as “shameless and despicable” activities of Tirona to include establishing monopolies in the province. Villa was Aguinaldo's aide during his capture in Palanan, Isabela in 1901.
On February 1900, Villa wrote about a burglary that transpired in the residence of a wealthy Cagayan scion of several jewelries. Two months later, the missing jewelries were seen worn by Tirona.
Being his vice commander, Tirona placed Colonel Villa in charge of seizing Isabela but the Spaniards however surrendered the province without resistance. Isabela military Governor Pedro Martinez escaped south and joined Governor Antonio Sastre of Nueva Vizcaya but were captured by the revolutionary forces led by Colonel Jose Leyba.
Villa established his base in Carig which is now Santiago City. He soon became Aguinaldo's aide and chronicler in his escape from American pursuit to northern Luzon and his eventual capture in Palanan, Isabela in 1901. Tirona on the other hand, discharged his function as Military Governor and immediately conducted elections in Isabela and Cagayan by viva voce in the same month the Malolos congress convened.

It was relatively peaceful during those days as the Aguinaldo government made use of the one peso cedula secured by residents 18 to 60 years of age to keep the Malolos Government moving.
On September 18, 1898 Tirona arrived on the island of Ivana on the first leg of his mission to Liberate the island-province of Batanes.
News of Tirona's landing in Ivana has reached the capital of Basco causing Spanish Governor Julian Fortea to panic.
Thinking he would be betrayed; Fortea executed his native servants; his bodyguard- Juan Baycan and his cook- Cecilio Estorel then locked himself and his wife inside the Casa Real (Governor's residence).
The townsfolk and the Guardia Civil were enraged of what Fortea did to his servants. The Spaniards wanted to appease the furious natives as the Spanish Education Supervisor of the province- Rafael Romero sneaked into Casa Real and killed Fortea and spared the latter's wife.
Upon Tirona's arrival in Basco on September 25; he was surprised to see that the Spaniards were already lined up to surrender. They were presented to Tirona by Spanish Commander Salvador Perea.
The Spanish captives to include Fortea's wife and children were ferried to the mainland and joined other Spaniards rounded in Aparri and were imprisoned in Tuguegarao for a year.
The plight of the Spanish captives in Tuguegarao was in contrast with the Spaniards held in Nueva Vizcaya who were treated well and fairly by their captor, Colonel Leyba.
Spanish prisoners of war in Nueva Vizcaya conduct their lives freely within the confines set by their captors. On weekends, their warden at its expense provide their prisoners entertainment of Juego de Toro.
Tirona and his men stayed for weeks in Batanes enjoying the good life of drinking and feasting at the expense of the residents. Tirona's men would confiscate whatever they fancied from the friars and natives to the extent of looting the church of its precious gold and silver ornaments.
Before leaving Batanes, Tirona installed Don Teofilo Castillejos as Governor.

The Departure of Spanish Regime

THE REVOLUTION: THE LAST YEARS OF SPANISH REGIME
On May 1897, the Spaniards retook Aguinaldo's bailiwick of Cavite as the Magdalos suffered several setbacks. Aguinaldo was convinced of the Spanish Government's amnesty offer to end hostilities presented by Governor General Primo de Rivera.
Aguinaldo agreed to dissolve the revolutionary government based on his decision to go into voluntary exile to Hong Kong in exchange for an installment compensation of 800,000 Mexican pesos to him and his associates in the revolution as war idemnity. The negotiation was stipulated in the pact of Biak-na-Bato signed in December 15, 1897.

Back in Tanza, Cavite; Tirona and Lawyer Jose del Rosario fell on their knees before Spanish authorities seeking amnesty. Del Rosario was the lawyer whom Tirona endorsed to replace Bonifacio as Secretary to the Interior during the controversial Tejeros convention.
After receiving half of the 800,000 pesos indemnity, Aguinaldo sailed to Hong Kong where he tried to ally with the United States in its conflict with Spain in April 1898. Aguinaldo moved to Singapore and hid under the alias: Senyor Bouting to evade his associates who demanded that he secure the balance of the war indemnity agreed upon in the Pact of Biak na Bato. Aguinaldo's associates represented by Isabelo Artatcho earlier received half of the remaining 400,000.
In Singapore, the Americans informed Aguinaldo they were not interested to occupy the Philippines as the US is more interested to possess Cuba which is much nearer to their territory. The Cuba revolution against its Spanish colonizers sparked the Spanish-American war. The Americans blamed Spain for the sinking of USS Mainne in Cuba when it tried to evacuate US citizens.
The Americans instead sold 2,000 rifles and thousands of ammunitions to Aguinaldo for 50,000 pesos negotiated by Consul General Rousenville Wildman who also advised him to pursue the revolution back in the Philippines as Dictator.
Aguinaldo paid Wildman 67,000 pesos more in advance for an additional delivery of firearms but the goods never came.
Meanwhile, the British government which holds Hong Kong as its territory sought the American fleet to leave their jurisdiction to preserve its neutral stand in the American-Spanish conflict. This left US President Mckinley no choice but to relocate the American fleet to the Philippines and ordered Commodore George Dewey to invade the Spanish armada in Manila bay. On May 1, 1898; the US fleet inflicted heavy blows against Spain as it sank 12 of the thirteen Spanish warships killing nearly 200 of its soldier-crew.
American troops occupied the capital in Intramuros but did not allowed their Filipino allies to enter the walled city. On the other hand, the Spanish government moved to Iloilo.

First Philippine Republic in Palanan, Isabela: Aguinaldo's Flight

THE FALL OF BONIFACIO'S KATIPUNAN
At the height of the Philippine revolution in March 22,1897; Magdalo followers of Emilio Aguinaldo overthrew the supreme leadership of Andres Bonifacio in the Katipunan through a well orchestrated convention in Barrio, Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon (now General Mariano Trias) Cavite.
Bonifacio was invited in his capacity as Supremo supposedly to unify the Magdalo and Magdiwang factions of the Katipunan. However, an instant election among Representatives of the supposedly two opposing groups ensued in a snap. The aim was to elect through the electoral representatives, the President of the Katipunan which was then already considered a shadow government ready to devour at anytime the Spanish regime.

Among the leading Magdiwang men on Bonifacio's side were Mariano Alvarez, Pascual Alvarez, Santiago Alvarez, Luciano San Miguel, Mariano Trias, Santos Nocom and Severino de las Alas.
Among the Magdalos were Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, Cayetano Topacio, and Antonio Montenegro.
The electorate of the two Katipunan factions chose Aguinaldo in absentia.
Bonifacio on the other hand successively lost the next positions.
The delegates elected the Magdiwang members to the cabinet namely: Mariano Trias, Vice President; Artemio Ricarte, Captain-General and Emiliano Riego de Dios, Director of War.
Finally, Andres Bonifacio held the last position being elected as Director for the Interior.
At first, Bonifacio was tight-lipped after the “election” though all the elected cabinet members belong to his Magdiwang faction.
It was however fishy that the elected Magdiwang members did not vote their leader and instead supported Aguinaldo who was not present during the convention.
The elected Magdiwangs in the cabinet were however, all Cavitenos except for Ricarte who is an Ilocano but married to a native of Cavite. Furthermore, both Magdalo and Magdiwang politicians figured in the so-called electoral college were Freemason allies of Aguinaldo.
Bonifacio was reluctant to preside the convention in the first place on suspicion that the proceedings were already “cooked”. The concluded exercise could have been settled when an Aguinaldo henchman- Colonel Daniel Tirona questioned and contested Bonifacio's election as Director for the Interior.
Tirona was soon to take his place in Isabela history being the Military Governor of the province under Aguinaldo's short-lived regime.
The ploy was Tirona's last ditch effort to embarrass and remove Bonifacio from the face of the revolutionary government.
It was not the first time Tirona and Bonifacio crossed paths.
Upon Bonifacio's arrival in Cavite, Tirona led the welcoming party shouting to his heart with his sword raised: “Mabuhay ang Supremo.” Tirona on his horse accompanied the carriage bearing Bonifacio in a parade held in honor of his arrival. Because of this fervent welcome, Tirona was said to have been reprimanded by his Magdalo superiors and on the next day made clandestine moves to somehow degrade Bonifacio's stature.
Bonifacio nearly pulled the trigger when he tried to shoot Tirona had not for cooler heads who prevailed and prevented him from doing. This was after confronting Tirona for circulating leaflets stating among others that only God and not Bonifacio deserves to be called Supremo, that Bonifacio was unschooled and that his sister was a spy and concubine of a friar leaking secrets of the Katipunan to Spanish authorities.
In the Tejeros convention, Tirona was different from his personality that earlier welcomed Bonifacio to his turf in Cavite. He argued that Bonifacio had no education and that the position of Director for the Interior should possess a diploma in Law. He further endorsed Cavite lawyer Jose del Rosario in Bonifacio's place.
A furious Bonifacio stood up and demanded apology. He reminded Tirona of the agreement to abide by the majority vote and “accept its choice no matter what the station in life of the person elected.” Aiming his revolver, Bonifacio said: “I demand from you, Mr. Daniel Tirona, an apology. You must restore to the voters and the one they elected the honor you have only now besmirched.”
Instead of replying, Tirona quickly squeezed his way out of the crowd. Ricarte pacified Bonifacio and the latter furiously declared the concluded proceedings null and void.
Eminent historian Ambeth Ocampo viewed that the Supremo's heated tirade with Tirona was not enough reason to make him walk out from the convention. Bonifacio's misgivings was the electoral fraud.
On April 15, 1897 Aguinaldo ordered the arrest of Bonifacio for rebellion, captured with a brother- Ciriaco killed, tried before the Magdalo court martial for one day, executed the next day with another brother- Procopio and the rest is history.(Picture:Blogtext.Org,Daan Patungo sa Kalayaan)